Foretold
by stress
Summary: It was foretold that, one day, there would be a union of mortal and fey. However, the further the chosen mortal strays from the Goblin King, the closer another immortal draws. What happens when one fey tries to destroy destiny?
1. Prologue: It was written and foretold

Author's Note: _I began this story, under the title _'It Was Written'_, in January of 2005. It was a sluggish attempt at writing my first _Labyrinth _fiction but, as you can see, it failed as it has been over a year and a half and it is only a few chapters in. However, with the birth of _'Sleepwalker'_, I have decided to try my hand at this again. I will change some of it around and continue with it. I hope to grow far more detailed with this piece. Let's hope for the best._

Disclaimer: _These are always mandatory when dabbling in fan fiction. If there is anything at all that is reminiscent of the 1986 fantasy film _Labyrinth_, then it probably belongs to Jim Henson, et al., including (but not limited to) the characters of Sarah Williams & Jareth, the Goblin King. Any other characters, such as the elfin maiden, Ariel, and the fey, Roane, are the property of this author and will be noted._

--

_Foretold_

It was foretold that, one day, there would be a union of mortal and fey.  
However, the further the chosen mortal runs from the Goblin King, the closer another immortal draws.  
What happens when one fey tries to destroy destiny?

--

PROLOGUE  
_It was written and foretold…_

--

It was written and foretold, millennia prior to the present age, that there was to be wedded bliss between the most virginal of mortals and the most powerful of feys. The matrimony would unite the Underground and the Aboveground and harmony would reign evermore, as long as the couple ruled as one. However, as time passed, and the lore was forgotten, mortal married mortal, fey married fey and the Aboveground and the Underground remained distanced by ignorance.

That is, of course, until the day the King of the Underground became enamored with a young mortal girl. The fey in question had been ruler of the Underground, lording over his subjects, acting as the spoiled royal he was raised to be. Powerful in position and in magic, however, it was this preordained that this fey that would lose his heart to the weak; it was he that was destined to wed his beloved mortal child.

But, in a world that ignored any memory or presence of faeries and feys, said mortal knew not of a destiny. But she knew of the Goblin King, a figure she had both feared and lusted for during the seven year period following a brief encounter between the pair. Once a childhood fantasy, she chanced upon the King when a careless wish enabled him to bring her to his world. Matching her up against his famed labyrinth, with her brother as bait for her to meet him at the end, the King longed to keep her with him in his world.

Ignorant of the King's love for her, a love he had kept within his cold heart for as long as he had known of her existence, preferring to trick the girl into staying Underground with the use of his cunning cruelty, the mortal girl used her own courage and strength to defeat her threat. As she swept her brother away and recanted her reckless request, the girl ignored the devastated expression on the King's face, instead pushing her memories of the labyrinth out of her mind. After all, hadn't it been just a dream? Surely there is just one world, not two? She wasn't sure; and the ever presence of a single white owl remained there as a reminder.

But, as she remained torn between fantasy and reality, not knowing if her memories were dreams or her dreams memories, the mortal girl remained unaware. Unaware that her presence in the labyrinth still lingered, years after she had defeated it. Unaware that the Goblin King remained ever waiting, ever watching, ever adoring, hidden in the shadows. Unaware that fate was ever weaving her destiny closer to the one figure she tried to believe was an illusion. Unaware that all she had to do was accept the King's twisted affection in order to garner to power to rule the worlds. Unaware that she, as the mortal spoken of in tales of old, was the target of evil forces.

For, besides the pull of fate trying to bring these two together, there were stronger forces at play - the force of jealousy and the force of greed. As she remained lost in her everyday world Aboveground and he waiting for the chance to return his beloved Underground, a third figure would be waiting to make her move. Though it was foretold, it would take more than love to unite the worlds. It would take a miracle…

--

In future chapters, there will be mention of the Council; the hierarchy within the Underground is as follows:

THE SIDHE COUNCIL

(all of the rulers listed below make up the council sans Jareth)

1. Fae -- Led by **Corrigan**  
2. Elf -- Led by **Erlkonig**  
3. Dwarf -- Led by **Derkin  
**4. Fairies -- Led by **Mesmer**  
5. Goblins -- Governed by **Jareth**, King of the Goblins


	2. Chapter One: Show her to me

Author's Note: _I combined chapter two and three of the last version of this story so as to make the chapters a bit longer. Other than that, and small grammatical errors, this chapter remains unchanged from the original posting._

Disclaimer: _These are always mandatory when dabbling in fan fiction. If there is anything at all that is reminiscent of the 1986 fantasy film _Labyrinth_, then it probably belongs to Jim Henson, et al., including (but not limited to) the characters of Sarah Williams & Jareth, the Goblin King. Any other characters, such as the elfin maiden, Ariel, and the fey, Roane, are the property of this author and will be noted._

--

_Foretold_

It was foretold that, one day, there would be a union of mortal and fey.  
However, the further the chosen mortal runs from the Goblin King, the closer another immortal draws.  
What happens when one fey tries to destroy destiny?

--

CHAPTER ONE:  
_Show her to me…_

--

"Show her to me," he commanded lazily in an emotionless tone as he lounged royally on his throne. Obediently, the translucent crystal in his hand conjured the image of a lovely young maiden, sitting serenely in a park. Her only company, an elderly sheepdog, lay at her side, as the pair enjoyed a lazy summer day. As a gentle breeze blew her long dark hair away from her face, Jareth, the Goblin King allowed himself to mutter a barely audible moan. _Sarah…_

Though barely audible, one or two of the goblins that lay at the foot of his throne perked their ears up. "Did you say something, your Majesty?"

As quickly as he conjured the crystal, the Goblin King waved it away. "Yes," he replied, "I did. I said I was bored. Where is the dwarf? Bring him to me."

Three goblins leapt to their feet at once, with the result that the trio knocked heads and fell back over. As their king rolled his eyes and covered his head with a gloved hand, two of the goblins jumped back up and scurried away. Knowing full well that he should have just brought the dwarf to himself, the king allowed himself a brief moment of silence while all in the throne room awaited the arrival of the dwarf.

Finally, just when the king was preparing to transport himself to the front of the labyrinth and bring the dwarf back, the gnarled little man appeared, somewhat anxiously. "You called for me, sir?" he asked in his gruff voice, while nervously playing with his hands.

Even after a century of being the labyrinth's doorman, the dwarf was still petrified of his liege. That one fact brightening his otherwise dreary day, the Goblin King smirked. "Yes, Haghead," he replied, purposely getting the dwarf's name wrong. This was another small thing that always succeeded in momentarily removing _her_ from his thoughts. "I thought it was high time that we had a little chat."

The dwarf frowned in annoyance at the mispronunciation of his name. The words 'It's _Hoggle_' dying on his lips due to his fright, the dwarf nodded. "Is it about the little lady, your majesty?" As one of her companions during the eventful defeat of the labyrinth, Hoggle was regarded as an expert on her, even though it was the Goblin King who kept an ever vigil eye on her everyday occurrences.

The Goblin King shifted his position in his throne so that he was looking down at the dwarf. "Why, Hagget, must everything revolve around that _girl_? Can't any of you cretins forget her at all? She's just a mortal, after all."

Before Hoggle could drop to his knees and apologize for his blunder in mentioning her, one of the goblins on the right side of the throne spoke up. "But, my lord, isn't she the mortal that you've been after all these years? The girl that you want to make your queen? The one who –" In mid-sentence, before the goblin could continue, the king grabbed his scepter and cracked him over the head.

But the damage had been done and his facade crumbled. Hoggle, seeing his king sit back in his throne with a scowl on his handsome face, took a tentative step forward. "Sir, I have an idea. Why don't you go Above and bring her back here. I'm sure she's forgiven you for trying to keep her brother. Even," the dwarf continued hastily when he saw the king sit up with a jerk, "if she did ask you to take him in the first place."

But Hoggle's calming words came too little, too late; the king had been enraged by his subject's suggestion. "Higbit, don't you think that if it was that simple that I would have done so already? You know damn well that I can't show myself to her Aboveground unless she invites me to? And," he continued, standing down from his throne amid all of the goblins scrambling to get out of his path, "though none of us Underground have forgotten her, from what I have seen in my crystals, she has long stopped believing in the labyrinth."

Putting his hands up in defense as he slowly backed away, Hoggle had one more suggestion. "Well, your majesty, why don't you remind her? You may not be able to show yourself to her, but maybe you can remind her all the same."

The Goblin King looked down at Hoggle and the frightened goblins that lay hunched together in one corner of the throne room and smiled. "I think you may be right," he answered before conjuring another crystal. Without a second thought, the Goblin King tossed the crystal in the air. By the time it began its descent, both the crystal and the King had disappeared.

--

It seemed like only yesterday that he had sat outside the Williams' house. Perched in the old tree so that he could watch her sleep without the use of one of his crystals, the Goblin King, in the only form permissible of him in the Aboveground, had spent many an evening, both before and after her defeat of the labyrinth, watching her. However, his nighttime watches slowed and eventually stopped when it became evident that her fantasies no longer lingered. First she had put away her worn copy of _The Labyrinth_. Next she had cleared all of her stuffed animals and fantasy books from her shelves. Finally, she stopped pretending to be an actress. Instead she spent most of her time at school (she had just finished her third year at the local college) studying, or home, with Toby – her eight year old half brother, one of the only people she confided in; she was a loner, preferring to work towards her goal of being a writer. Though she never spoke of the Underground, she herself convinced it had been nothing more than a fantastical dream, she remembered her lesson well and became extremely endeared to her brother.

But the closer she tied herself to her studies and to her family, the further she became from the Goblin King. With every passing day, his yearning for her grew as her memories of him faded. The great king, for the first time in his existence, wanted something he couldn't have nor take by force. However, if he could just help her see that it was not all dream, maybe he could have her yet.

With a shake and a ruffle of white feathers, the amber-eyed owl flew off of his perch and into the open window on the second floor of the Williams' home. As he landed with a hop on the carpeted floor, the king appreciated the naivety of his beloved to leave her bedroom window open when she was out spending the evening with her only other companion, Merlin, her sheepdog.

However, the Goblin King was not ignorant; in fact, he was far from it. After watching her for as long as he had, he knew her daily rituals better than she did herself. Judging by the setting sun he saw outside of her window, he knew he had precious little time to accomplish what he had set out to do. Quickly, he maneuvered his way over to the old bureau against the wall. With another hop, the king jumped up and sat in her seat, and stared at the nearly closed top drawer that he knew held her copy _The Labyrinth_, the book that her mother had given her when she was three. Unbeknownst to both mother and child, it was that book that had tied her to the Underground and made her existence known to their king.

Sliding his golden beak into the slim passage that had been left after she rushed to shut the drawer this morning, the king pried and pushed in order to jimmy the drawer open wider. Though it took a few precious moments to be able to do so, he finally succeeded and let out a soft coo in relief. For a moment he thought he might have failed, a notion he could only entertain when it came towards achieving her affection. But, when he saw the faded red cover of the worn book, he knew he had not failed with the first part of his plan. Gently sticking his head inside the drawer, the king lifted the book out with his beak. When he was able to grab at it with his talons, the Goblin King hopped into the drawer and drew the book out.

As quickly as he could, knowing that time grew ever shorter, the king flew over to her bed and placed the book down on her pillow. Then, using the ounce of power he retained within when in owl form, he left a second gift next to the book. Confident that she could not ignore either of these tokens, the king took to flight and flew out of her room.

It was a short while after when her steps on the staircase could be heard throughout the house. After seeing that Merlin was being fed by Toby, she entered her room to grab one of her school books. Not bothering to turn on the light, she headed across the room, guided by the moonlight. She did not make it as far as her bookshelf, however. Instead, she lost all breath and her train of thought when one of her grey eyes spied something glittering on her pillow. "What is this?" she murmured as she reached out for the glitter. But her hand was stayed from reaching the glitter when she felt the brush of a book sitting on her pillow.

She reached for the book first and, by using the light of the moon, she saw that it was her old, and forgotten, version of _The Labyrinth_. With a small smile, she opened the book and made out a few of the words written on a page close to the end: _You have no power over me_.

Without understanding why, a sudden chill ran down her spine and her face lost her smile. Quickly, she tossed the book back down and reached for the glitter. When her hand closed around the circular object resting on her satin pillowcase, Sarah Williams looked into the crystal the Goblin King had left behind and gasped. As the world seemed to spin around her, and forgotten memories seemed to rush back towards her, she had one word to say before dropping to her knees in surprise: "Jareth."


	3. Chapter Two: I will become Queen yet

Author's Note: _Chapter three was rewritten a bit. Rather than begin another part of the story, I elaborated on what I had previously written. The female antagonist has been changed and I put the information (a key, basically) on the Sidhe Council in with the first chapter. If this seems vaguely familiar to any previous readers, that's because I combined chapters and pretty much deleted the earlier version of this chapter. After I had rewritten it, I just uploaded it anew. Hopefully it gives a bit more insight into the plot. This is more of a Jareth/Underground story, just so you know. It will be fairly easy and quick to get Sarah to visit the Underground; the conflict will begin once she is there. Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: _These are always mandatory when dabbling in fan fiction. If there is anything at all that is reminiscent of the 1986 fantasy film _Labyrinth_, then it probably belongs to Jim Henson, et al., including (but not limited to) the characters of Sarah Williams & Jareth, the Goblin King. Any other characters, such as the elfin maiden, Ariel, and the fey, Roane, are the property of this author and will be noted._

--

_Foretold_

It was foretold that, one day, there would be a union of mortal and fey.  
However, the further the chosen mortal runs from the Goblin King, the closer another immortal draws.  
What happens when one fey tries to destroy destiny?

--

CHAPTER TWO:  
_I will become Queen yet…_

--

Once he had finished with what he had set to do Aboveground, Jareth returned to his throne room, glad to be back in his true form. With a slight flick of his head, his wild blond hair settled into place and he smiled thinly as he returned to his throne. He was relieved to see that the goblins had all fled his main sanctuary for the evening and that there was no sign of the dwarf. He hadn't wanted to waste his words acknowledging that the dwarf's suggestion might have worked anyway. Not yet, at least; he had no way to know if his gifts held any sway over the girl.

Or did he? _I have the magick…_ A wry smile crossed his face as he made his way across the empty room. As he settled himself back into his chair, the Goblin King conjured another of his crystals. For the second time that night, he commanded, "Show her to me."

The crystal in his hand obliged and revealed an image of Sarah. No longer on the floor in the dark, she sat on her bed, cupping the crystal to her chest. "The Goblin King, he was here," she was murmuring in a quiet voice – a voice that was sending chills up Jareth's spine, it was so low and obviously full of some sort of despair; _was she remembering it all?_ – as the light from her desk lamp reflected off of the crystal he left behind for her. "But why?"

"Why indeed, Sarah," Jareth whispered in response, answering his own crystal as he smiled at the image it shared with him. _So, the dwarf was right, she just needed to be reminded._ But to be reminded that he was real was not enough. She needed to call for him and invite him back Aboveground. "Come now, Sarah. Say the words," he prompted the girl within the depths of the crystal. So acute was his focus that he was utterly oblivious to the women who faded elegantly – elves, especially of the Erlkonig line, were known for such entrances – into his inner sanctum.

"So, your majesty, the rumors are true, then. Jareth, the great Goblin King, son of the Lord Corrigan, has fallen for a mortal girl." The voice was smooth and slid through the room like molten honey. Jareth did not even need to raise his mismatched eyes to view the unwelcome intruder; he recognized her by such a voice alone.

Rather than adopt the professional, and cold, expression suited for one of his Royal blood, he sighed impatiently before tossing his crystal into the air. As it fell gracefully, he turned his eyes away from it, catching one last glimpse of the confused Williams girl before it vanished with a _pop_. "Ariel, what are you doing in my throne room at such an hour?" he asked coldly, his face a hard mask. He slowly turned his attention on her; there was not to be any disturbances within his quarters following the nightly dismissal of his subjects and, yet, there she was.

Ariel, a Royal herself, the daughter of the Elfin King, had neglected to adopt the proper stance and expression. She did not look upon in him in a disinterested fashion but grinned cheekily. She was not standing upright, her hands folded demurely in front of her; she was relaxed, her hip jutted out towards him in a most provocative manner, her right hand resting gently on said hip.

She was a beauty – a rare mix of faerie and elfin blood – and she knew it. She was petite and slim, like most of her kind, but her waist dipped in the middle giving her dangerous curves. She was a pale shade of white, quite a feat considering that she was an elfin princess and resided in her father's forest on the edge of the Goblin Kingdom, with wide violet eyes. Her hair was a deep amber color, so like the sap that flowed freely from the trees she embraced.

The green dress, paper thin to Jareth's eye, decorated with a single vine that wrapped around her slim frame, accentuating her proportions, was quite provocative and quite unlike normal evening wear – especially when she was paying a nighttime visit to the Goblin King. He looked at her with true suspicion. She answered his accusatory gaze with a tinkling laugh and a shake of head. Her wavy amber hair, reaching to the smalls of her back, moved slightly with the action.

"Well, my lord," she began, feigning the propriety inherent to one of her stature, "it has come to the attention of the Sidhe Council that your mild fascination with a mortal has been affecting your _rule_ of the Underground. Corrigan has sent me to your castle, beyond the Goblin City, to see if there was any truth to the hearsay. Normally, none of my kin would dare enter such a place as the Goblin City when we could stay in our forest but," she continued, as she began to move smoothly towards his throne; her movement did not go unnoticed by Jareth, "I just could not pass up the opportunity to meet with you again. It's been so long, Jareth," she cooed as she, now at his side, draped her arm on his chest, "since you've let anyone but your goblins see you."

He did not even flinch. "Ariel, do me the favor of removing yourself from my person immediately. What would Roane say?" Jareth questioned, unaffected by her proximity.

"Oh, him," she answered offhandedly as she pulled her arm back. Roane, the elder brother to Jareth, had been courting Ariel for the past century. Once inseparable, it had recently reached Jareth, even in his seclusion in his castle, that she barely acknowledged Roane's presence these days. "Roane is being primed to enter the Council under Lord Corrigan. I hardly ever get to see him any more." There was a pout evident in her voice and she seemed eager to place her arm on him again. His silence and rigid pose, sitting upright in his throne, kept her at bay.

Though he questioned the honesty of her statement, Jareth understood what her words meant. Growing up as the second son of Lord Corrigan, head of the Sidhe Council, the true governing body of the Underground, he very rarely saw his father. Also, as the second son of the Head Faerie, he grew up with the understanding that it was expected of him to follow in his father's footsteps and enter the Council; as the elder son, it was anticipated by all that Roane would be named King.

While the King was seen as the ruler of the Underground, it really was the Sidhe Council, made up of four royal ruling clans – one being Ariel's elfin family – and ruled by Corrigan, head of the royal fey family, that held the power; the role of the King was nominal only, with the exception of the additional power he achieved and the rule of both the goblins, the lowest class of faeries (who, consequently, were not represented in the Council) and the rule of the labyrinth and all of it's occupants.

It had caused quite uproar when Corrigan announced to the Sidhe Council that it would be Jareth, not Roane, who would hold the prestigious and powerful position of Goblin King. Though it had been nearly fifty years since the coronation, whenever gossip was scarce, many of the lower-class faeries loved to talk about the sibling rivalry between Jareth and Roane; they seemed to think that their might be an eventual fight between the two for power. But it had been half a century and the brothers had not acknowledged the slight yet. Or, better yet, Jareth had not. Roane refused to discuss the matter.

Jareth breathed out and let a sigh escape him. "Ariel. I understand your loneliness but I have better things to do than converse with Roane's elfin mistress. So, if you wouldn't mind, please send this message to my father: The goblins are faring just well under my rule. However, my personal matter is just that. My reign shall, as always, remain unaffected."

Ariel covered up her upset at his harsh words and cold manner with a coy smile. "Of course, your _majesty_," she agreed with a touch of spite creeping into her sweet voice. "As you wish."

Jareth lowered his head allowing his long blond hair to fall into his mismatched eyes. "Go back to your forest, Ariel. Leave me to my castle."

"Yes," she replied and turned to leave. But, before she exited the ornate doors of Jareth's throne room, she cast a quick glance over her shoulder. The Goblin King had conjured another of his crystals and was staring into it. The expression on his sculpted face was akin to that of a love-sick goblin. He was watching that human girl again.

_So, it's to be between a mortal and I, is it?_ Her lips curled in delight at the challenge. _I will become Queen yet_.


	4. Chapter Three: What would you see?

Author's Note: _I know it's been some time but, since I have been working on two other Labyrinth stories, I thought I would try my hand at this one again (mainly because the chapters are short, hehe). Like I said last chapter, this story will delve deeper in the Underground society – this chapter will particularly explain some of Ariel's motives._

Disclaimer: _These are always mandatory when dabbling in fan fiction. If there is anything at all that is reminiscent of the 1986 fantasy film _Labyrinth_, then it probably belongs to Jim Henson, et al., including (but not limited to) the characters of Sarah Williams & Jareth, the Goblin King. Any other characters, such as the elfin maiden, Ariel, and the fey, Roane, are the property of this author and will be noted._

--

_Foretold_

It was foretold that, one day, there would be a union of mortal and fey.  
However, the further the chosen mortal runs from the Goblin King, the closer another immortal draws.  
What happens when one fey tries to destroy destiny?

--

CHAPTER THREE:  
_Ariel Erlkonig, what would you like to see?_

--

"Gianna? Gianna!"

The squat, elderly wood elf lifted her head at her mistress's call. She had been occupied, spinning the fallen leaves of the Great Oak into cloth so as to make another dress for the Elf King's only child, when Ariel had left her side for a walk amongst the trees but now, as the insistent call filtered through the night's air, Gianna rose from her stool. With one wave of a weathered and aged hand, the spinning wheel, as well as her work, shrunk in size. Once it was the size of her open palm, Gianna scooped it up and slipped it within the folds of her moss-colored cloak; the spinning wheel was her only treasure and she would part with her life before she parted with the wooden wheel.

Gianna pulled her oversized hat down over her pointed ears before vanishing away to her mistress's side. She had been the caretaker for the Elf King's daughter ever since she had been born and always knew where to go when she was needed. And, from the incensed tone of voice that her young protégée had called for her, Gianna knew she was needed.

She faded into sight before the elfin princess. "You called for me?" she asked, her voice low and rough. Gianna was nearly as old as time itself and her voice, as well as the countless wrinkles that creased her round face, betrayed that age. However, she was quite limber for one of her stature and years and proved it be walking around the princess, twice, before squatting down on the grass.

"Gianna, I need you," Ariel confessed, as she sank down on her knees before the wood elf. Gianna had been more than a governess of sorts to the princess as she matured and, now as she entered into womanhood, Ariel found that she had become a companion as well as a trusted advisor. In fact, besides her father, the reigning Erlkonig, Gianna was the only creature that held any sway, or control, over the impetuous girl.

Gianna clicked her tongue as Ariel's dress, handspun not more than a fortnight ago, crumpled around her. The clothing was very delicate, being made from the nature that lived in the forest, and had a tendency to wither when not properly cared for. She was not surprised. Despite her best attempts to instill consciousness into the princess, Gianna knew that Ariel rarely cared for anyone but herself. And, yet, she could not help but feel a maternal affection for her; she had, after all, raised the princess, just as she had raised the various children of the Erlkonig line before Ariel.

Ariel heard the noise and looked down. Her violet eyes glanced downward and, by the light of the full moon, she could see the hem of the dress falling away as it returned the grass clippings it had been made of. She resisted the urge to comment on fragility of Gianna's handiwork – the old wood elf refused to let anything clothe the princess but her own work, despite Ariel's argument that other Royals bartered their clothes from gifted dwarf tailors – and, instead, focused on why she had summoned her.

"Gianna, I—"

"Ariel," Gianna interrupted, referring to the princess by her name, rather than her title. Normally, such was only reserved for close kin and various Royals, but Gianna was above that. A powerful sorceress in her own right, there was not much that she wanted that she did not have. "Your Roane was here, desiring your presence."

Gianna's pronouncement was enough to stall Ariel's request. Her thin lips pursed. "And what did you tell him?"

"Why, that I was nothing more than your handmaiden and, as such, had no mind to where you had gone."

"Did he believe your excuse?" Ariel asked, concerned. It would not do well to her planning if Roane began to desire her company again. She had assumed that he had understood her dissatisfaction with his position and was leaving her be. But, if he had left the Council's quarters in order to visit the Elf King's forest, Roane might be more intent on pursuing her than she had thought.

It was not that she disliked the first born son of Lord Corrigan; she liked him very much and had been more than content to become his bride once he had inherited the title of Goblin King. But then, not but fifty years prior, the announcement had been made that Jareth, Lord Corrigan's second son, had been named monarch of the Goblin Kingdom.

Ariel had been furious. After fifty years of allowing Roane to court her – fifty years of trying to convince herself that she could love him rather than just tolerate his presence – she had learned that all her effort had been in vain. But she did not sever ties with him right away; instead, she continued her liaison with him for a second half-century, hoping that the Council would eventually return the rule to Roane.

They did not and Ariel began to second guess her aims. It had always been her intent to have one kingdom under control – by marrying a King – before she inherited the Elf kingdom from her father. That way, she would have double the power of any creature in the Underground.

The Goblin King had been an obvious choice. When the Head Faerie announced that he would pass on the title to his son, it would be on the only kingdom with an unwed monarch. Almost right after that announcement, Ariel, using her feminine wiles, all but seduced the Head Faerie's first born son. When Roane responded to her advances, she had believed that nothing stood between her and her goal.

Until the further announcement came, fifty years ago, that it would be Jareth who took the throne. And, unfortunately for Ariel and her plans, by the time that she decided to forgo one brother for the next, Jareth was attached.

She had heard the rumors. That the great Goblin King had, somehow, inexplicably, fallen for a mortal girl from the Aboveground. She did not believe them, considering his own brother refuted them for her, but when news came that the labyrinth – the Goblin King's maze; a trap for any mortal foolishly trying to recover their wished away babes – had been defeated, and that the mortal who defeated it was _his _mortal, the rumors became to plenty to ignore.

It was then that Ariel decided to use these rumors to her own advantage. When she overheard her father and one of his councilors talking about the effect that said mortal was having on Jareth's reign, Ariel chose to visit the Goblin City and discuss matters with him.

She had not expected him to rebuff her in the cool way he had – which was why she was calling on Gianna so late. But she had never thought that Roane would be looking for her at the same time that she was attempting to seduce his brother. The news rattled her but, nonetheless, kept her reserve intact.

Gianna's grey eyes – the marking of an Ancient, further illustrating her untold age – crinkled in amusement. She was normally very stern but, sometimes, Ariel amused her. "Of course, child. None outside of the forest is aware of our connection. He has no reason to wonder why I would lie about my mistress to another Royal."

Ariel let out a sigh of relief. The wood elf was the only creature that she felt she could truly be at ease with and she was thankful for that bond. However, she even more thankful of the powers that Gianna possessed – it was for those powers that she summoned her to her side. "I'm glad for that, Gianna. Thank you. But—"

Gianna knew what Ariel wanted before the elfin princess said it. She lifted her brown hand up, her stubby fingers curled up into a fist, until it was outstretched in front of Ariel's nose; the darkness of Gianni's skin contrasted greatly with Ariel's pure white flesh.

Her violet eyes narrowed on Gianni's fist, Ariel stopped speaking. She no longer needed to say what she need out loud; she could tell from Gianna's gesture that the old wood elf knew what she wanted and was prepared to give it her.

With her free hand, Gianna unclasped the dark cloak from around her heavily wrinkled throat and let it fall behind her. Only then did she open up her hand. Resting inside her open palm, nestled in the center like a nut within a shell, was her miniature spinning wheel.

Ariel knew what was expected of her – this was not the first time that she had implored Gianna to use her magick to help her. She reached up with one of her slender hands and used her fingers to pluck one solitary amber strand from its root. She did not wince at the slight pain but, instead, wordlessly handed the piece of hair over to Gianna.

Gianna silently accepted the hair. She leaned her head down and blew once on the spinning wheel. The spinning wheel tripled in size. Too large for her wrists to support, she set it down on the grass. However, she did not set it on its feet but, rather, on its side.

Callused, thick fingers, used to millennia of working with the spindle and the flywheel, took the strand and set it upon the spinning wheel. Once it was in position, she gave the wheel a powerful jerk in the opposite direction from which it normally ran.

As the wheel began to spin, faster and faster, Gianna's eyes took on an almost golden hue. Her voice, all the deeper than it had been before, intoned in time to the spinning wheel. "Ariel Erlkonig, what would you like to see?"

Even after all of the times she had witnessed Gianna enter a scrying trance, she was unused to the distant way the wood elf spoke. "I… I would like to see the Goblin King's mortal girl… Sarah."

The wooden spinning wheel matched that golden color as the wheel, spinning ever faster, began to transform into a circular looking glass.

Ariel leaned in eagerly. She could not wait to see what Gianna had to show her.


End file.
